Bioda



Patented may 1a, 18199.

4 G. F. LEBIlllll-L` APPARATUS FOR HABDENING WOOD.

(Application led Dec, 12, 1898.)

2 Sheets-$heet I.

(No Model.)

vm Mmmm ...NVHPV '111111111111211111111111111 y *El 'ms Nonms venni co., Puo-r No. 625,042. Patented may I6, m99.

G. F. LEBmnA.

APPARATUS FOR HABDENING WOOD.

(Application led Dec. 12, 1898.)

2 Sheets-$heet 2.

(No Model.)

aan Unn NrrED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

GEoRG FRIEDRICH LEBIoDA, -oE PARIS, FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR HARDENI'NG WOOD.

SPECIFICATION forming par'eof Letters Patent No. 625,042, dated May 16, 1899.

` Application filed December 12,18%] serlelNe. 699,051. (Ne model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

-Be it known that I, GEORG FRIEDRICH LE- B'IODA, a subject of the King of Prussia, E1nperor of Germany,residing at the city of Paris, in the Republic of France, have made a new and useful invention in Improvements in Apparatus for Hardenin g Wood, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to an apparatus for hardening wood in which the latter is clamped in an iron frame-casing andexposed to very high pressure. vIn this manner the wood is reduced in volume about ten per cent. to

' thirty per cent. and receives great solidity -the large scale required in practice.

and durability. In this method soft wood can be converted into hard wood and the wood thus hardened utilized as a new article of commerce. For this hardening of the wood special presses are required, which allow of an extremely high pressure with a rapid and easy handling and a simultaneous treatment of a large quantity of wood. Especially is it a question of each separate wood block being covered with a metallicsheathing itself, so that the separate Wood blocks do not press mutually one against the other, which would cause a very irregular pressing action and a mutual inuence of the wood one on the other.

The presses hitherto employed are not appli- 'not allow for the above points, and, on the other hand, they require after the treatment of each separate charge an inconvenient taking apart and rerection or putting together again.

The present invention provides a press which is particularly suitable for working on The separate parts also'do not require to be taken apart and put together again for the purpose of recharging. The separate parts are reliably held together in their actual position and also the device for approaching and separating or moving apart the separate plates so arranged that the wood blocks are in no Way obstructed in being inserted and withdrawn. A few movelnents of the hand suffice to convey the treated Wood out of the press and to introduce fresh wood in order thatit may be in turn treated.

The object of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation in partial section; Fig. 2, a side Viewl corresponding therewith, and Fig. 3 a plan view of half the press.

Four columns p are mounted on the press table c,which colu ln ns carry hydraulic presses n and o. y On the two plungers mot the press n a pressure-plate 7c is suspended, by means of which a very strong downward pressure can be exerted. Two side plates c, mounted on slide-rollers f, are arranged mutually adjustable on the presstable o, and the wood blocks a, having horizontal plates h and vertical plates d laid between them, are stacked in the manner shown in Fig. l. The hori- -zontal plates b are provided with grooves for the engagement of the vertical plates d in such a way that the wood is compressed in the `necessary lnanner by the hydraulic pressesn 7e has been raised by means of the small press o. For thisobject the separate plates b are provided with pins r and connected together by hinged or pivoted arms sin the manner of lazy-tongs. The uppermost plate o is attached to the press-plate lo, and the lowermost plate Z9 is connected by lazy-tongs to suitable projections of the press-table c. In this'manner the raising of the press-plate 7c causes a perfectly even and simultaneous separation oi' the separate plates b to the amount always necessary and corresponding to the compression. The extent of the separation may be easily limited either by means of suitable projections on the lazy-tongs s or stop-rings mounted on the plungers m or small chains inserted between the separate plates h.

The side plates @,which are adjustable on slide-rollers, serve as lateral resistances during the pressing and are supported by adj ustable supports t, four of which are arranged on each side of the press and are made dependent on one another in their adjustment to allow of their easier operation.

The supports t are provided with screws u, so that the separate points of support of each plate e may be at any time easily adjusted IOO once lfor all. The four supports travel in suitable tracks and are each connected by a cross-bar o with one another. Projections w extend from the cross-bars o downward and serve for receiving screwed spindles x, provided with right and left hand threads, and these latter are so mounted in the press-table c that when hand-Wheels j are rotated the supports are approached and removed from one another, respectively. Preferably measures are taken either by screws or chains or hooks, so that the plates e, even on the return of the supports, are carried along with them,

rlhe handling and mode of Working of the press hereinbefore described are extremely simple. On the hydraulic presses n being depressed the plates b descend in the necessary manner, while the plates e afford a thoroughly reliable support by reason of the supports adj usted by the hand-Wheel j, and each separate Wood block is surrounded on all sides by an iron casing. Moreover, the hollow spaces of the plates b and d afford, simultaneously, an extremely convenient means for heating the intermediate plates by means of steam or electricity.

On raising the press-plate 7o the separate plates b are moved evenly apart so far that the wood blocks may be withdrawn and fresh ones inserted without the vertical plates CZ being liable to fall down. By means of the hand-wheel j the side plates e'may easily be loosened so far that no lateral pressure any longer exists, and after the press has been supplied with fresh wood they may be adjusted again in the necessary manner. An adjustment of the screws u is only necessary once where the Wood is of the same size. The screws provided with right .and left hand threads, which merely serve for adjusting the supports, no longer prevent the insertion and withdrawal ot' the blocks of wood, as they are arranged entirely beneath the wood-feed level. The devices for separating the plates b do not interfere in the least with the charging and discharging of the wood.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is l. An apparatus for hardening wood, characterized by the arrangement of a number of horizontal plates b dependent on one another as to their distances apart, and a number of vertical plates d engaging in suitable grooves in the said horizontal plates l), between which vertical and horizontal plates forming a solid casing the blocks of wood to be treated are exposed to pressure between a presser-plate lo operated by hydraulic presses and the press table c, side plates e being also provided which are supported by two sets of supports t which allow of an exact adjustment of the points of support and may be adjusted against one another simultaneously by means of screwed spindles a; which are provided with right and left hand threads substantially as hereinbefore described. I

2. In combination, the press-table c, the side plates e, the presserplate 7c, a series of horizontal plates b having grooves, the vertical plates d fitting in the said grooves to be held vertically thereby and yet permit vertical movement of the plates b, means for press ing the side plates e, and lazy-tongs for separating the plates ZJ, said tongs acting to separate the plates evenly and uniformly, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

GEORG FRIEDRICH LEBIO DA.

lVitnesses:

J. ALLIsoN BOWEN, GEO. E. LIGHT. 

